Transabdominal Ultrasound of the Stomach in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia: A Review

Background/Aim: Dyspepsia is a very common condition worldwide and has an immense impact on quality of life. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is defined by dyspeptic symptoms with the absence of any structural abnormality that can explain the cause. Ultrasonography (US) is a non-invasive imaging modality that can be applied to assess gastric function. The aim of this review paper is to assess how ultrasonography can sort out patients with dyspepsia and help diagnose functional dyspepsia. Methods: Using the keywords “functional dyspepsia” and “ultrasonography”, the PubMed database was screened for publications on the use of ultrasonography to identify functional dyspepsia. Afterward, two screening processes were performed to narrow the articles down to a rational number. Results: A total of 169 articles were obtained from the literature search, and 31 of these were included after the screening process. Ultrasonography was capable of identifying functional dyspepsia pathophysiology using both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. Conclusion: We conclude that ultrasonography is a non-invasive, safe, low-cost, and widely accessible method that can help diagnose functional dyspepsia through the exclusion of organic dyspepsia and assessing FD pathophysiology. Incorporation of ultrasound in the work-up of patients with functional dyspepsia allows for a sound diagnostic approach and can further improve patient management.